Signal



S IGNAL Filed FebL'Y, 1931 2 SheetsSheet l I a W 9.

April 26, 1932. w. F. POTTER SIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1931 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 WILLIAMZF. POTTER; *OF. ST, CLOUD; MINNESOTA SIGNALI' Application zflleirlebrxigryfl, 19am Serialibl'mw 5143250. 1

This invention relates to mechanical sign-I nals, designed for ;use p in sconnection with] motor vehicles, theprimary object 'ofthe in vention being to provide means forindicat 'ing the direction of travel to he -taken bythen.

vehicle equipped with the signaL-H;

An important object of the inventionis Qtrv provide a signal of this character which may? be readily and easily operated, in such-1a ways v as to permit the freeuse of'bothihandsofa the operator, to manipulatesdriving apparatus in malcingaa turn.

Another object of the inventioneisto pros;

vide a signal of this character: includingicylinders and pistons, novel means? beingrprovided for 1 creatinga; vacuum 111 theicyhnders, to move the movable ind1cat1ng-member,.1nto p and out of operation.

A still further obj ect of the invention is the provision-of a signal or indicator where-v in the movable indicating arm,'1.will .be-completely housed and protected against a the .ele ments, when'in its inactive-position With the foregoing; and: otherobjectsl in view, which will appear as "the description proceeds, the invention residesin =thecombisnation and arrange nent-ofaparts and in the details 'ofconstruction' hereinafter described 11 is mounted Rollers 12 are mounted within. 1 thelamp,housinglO, and engage the inner sur-' 1" face of thehollow indicatingarm'to furthen reduce friction between the indicating arm and its support, to --insure an indicator which will bei'exceptionally sensitive to the 0 and claimed, it being understood-that changes in the'precise embodiment of theeinventio'n herein disclosed, may", be made within-the; scope of what is claimed, withoutdeparting;

from the spirit ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating a signal or indicator-constructed in@accordance withthe invention, as positioned on a motor vehicle. 7 T a Figure 2 is a sectional viewthrough-the valve mechanism. 1 v r Figure 3 is a'rear elevational view ofthe valve housing;

Figure f lS a vertical sectional view through the valvehousing.

' Figure 5 is a longltudinalasectionalaview through,thelzoutencasing of the .housingin .1

which the indicating arm is mounted.

Figure .16 is .a longitudinal. sectional .view through the housingzand indicating arm. a

Figure. .7is a sectionaliview taken on line, 77 oiffFigure..i6.

g Referring (loathe drawings in 'det aihnthei signal: comprises a pairof elongatedhousings 1 Figure 8 is a sectional viewtakenon. line 1 88 ofFigurefi.

indicatedby the reference character-5, the;

, housings gbeinga preferably rectangular in cross .section.=. These housings arearrangedai andadisposed preferably within the visor of the vehicleand sineethese housings are idene .tical, only, one ",oi? .the housings ,will be dea scribedin detail, a 1

5, is a hollow'indicating arm 6 which is proat opposite sides of the bodyof the vehicle;

Sli'dablv mounted-within .theb yWt madman. rollers thatengage the-; inner surfacesof-the housing5. At the forward: r endio'l thehousing 5", are rollers 8' onrwhich the] forwardv end of the indicating-1 arms 6 frestsg; r 1 v I Disposed within the housing is a cylinder 9,

the-.eforwardi end; of thecylinderextending vinto-the-lamp housinglO, in which thelamp action ofthe operating medium.

The outer end of the hollow indicating arm *6, is closed by means ofthe' end wall 13, to I which iwall'thelrod 14 is connected, the rod 14 Cut out portions are formed in the sides. of

the hollow indicating arm 6, and are so constructedthat they define indicating arrows 16, at opposite sides of the arm 6. The reference character 17 designates a tube that connects with the cylinder 9 near the outer end thereof, the opposite end of the tube17 being connected with the body portion or housing 18 of the valve, to be hereinafter more fully described. The reference character 19 designates a tube that communicates with the cylinder 9, at the inner end of the cylinder, the opposite end of the tube being in communication with the housing 18, at 20. The reference character 21 designates a tube that connects with the valve housing 18, at oneend thereof, the opposite end of the tube 21 extending to the vacuum tank 22 of the vehicle, so that" the vacuum created in the vacuum tank 22, will act on the piston 15, to'move the-piston longitudinally of its cylinder, according to the end of the cylinder in which the vacuum is produced. i

The rotary valve is indicatedgenerally by the reference character 23, the valve being hollow and supplied with an operating handle 24, whereby the valve may be rotated, to operate the valve.

Tubes 25 and 26 merge from a common opening 27 formed in the periphery of the valve 23, from where the tubes 25 and 26 curve laterally in opposite directions, where they communicate with openings 28 which are also formed in the periphery of the valve housing.

I Openings 29 are also formed in the periphery of the valve 23 and are of lengths to bridge the inner ends of the pipes 17 and the intake ports 30 of the valve-housing, so that air may be drawn into one end of the cylinder, as air is being drawn from the cylinder at theopposite end. In order that the valve 23 may be restricted in itsmovements, a set screw 31 is provided, which extends through the housing to the valve, and is adapted'to engage the shoulders32 at the ends of the cut out portion 33.

As clearly shown by Figure f the drawings,,the handle24 extends inwardly, defining a shank 34, which shank extends through the disk 35 constructed of insulating material, the disk carrying contact points 36 and 37, which are in circuit with the lamp 11, through the wires 38 and 39 respectively, thelatter Wire constituting the ground wire. Carried by the shank 34, are the contact arms 38', which arms are adapted to bridge certain of the'contacts points 36 and 37, toautomatically light the lamp 11 within the indicating 7 arm. It will of course beimders tood that these contacts points 36 and 37 are so arranged that when the handle 24 is operated to move the valve to movethe indicating arm at the right of the vehicle, to its active position,

' the lamp in the lamp housing 10 at the right side of the vehicle, will be lighted. When the valve is moved to operate the indicating arm at the left side of the vehicle, the lamp in this indicating arm, will be automatically lighted.

It will of course be understood that the valve housing is so positioned that the op erator of the vehicle will have easy access to the handle 24.

The operation of the signal is as follows:

Assuming that the indicating arms are in their inactive positions within their housings, and the vehicle is to make a left hand turn, the operator moves the valve member to bring the opening 29 to a position to bridge the inner ends of the tubes 17 and 21, which movementwill bring the opening 28 to a position to bridge the inner-end of the tube 20 andjintake port 30. It follows that the vacuum created in the tube 21 will act to draw the air from thecuterend of the cylinder at .theleft side of the vehicle, moving the indicating arm to a position as shown by Figure 1 of the drawings. As the piston 15 moves to its outermost position, air will be drawn i into the valve housing,through the port 30 and tube 19, from where the air will enter the cylinder, displacing the vacuum within, the cylinder at theinner side of the piston. It will of course be understood that simultaneously ,with the moving of the i-ndicatin arm to its active position, the lamp 11 will e illuminated, illuminatingthe indicating arm, '3

so that the. signal will be' ,clearly visible at night. When it is desired toreturn the arm to its normal or inactive position, the handle 24 is operated to move the valve member to a position as shown byFigure 2 of the'drawingsfwhereu'pon the tube 19 will be brought into registry with the tube 21, creating a vacuum within the inner end of the cylinder, and causing the piston 15, tobe moved towards the inner endof the cylinder The indicating arm is now moved inwardly and completely housed within the housing.

It will be obvious that air will be drawn into the opposite end of the cylinder through the port 30 and pipe 17 While I have described the operation of the 4 valve and signalfor indicatingthe direction of travel of the vehicle to the left, it is to be understood that by movingthe handle 24in the opposite direction, thetubing and ports willbe brought into registry tooperate the signal or indicating arm atthe opposite side of the vehicle. r Iclaim:

A signal comprising a cylindrical casing having anopen outer end, a cylinder secured within the cylindrical casing andextendedto a point near the open end of the cylindrical casing, a lamp housingmounted at one end of the cylinder and supported in spaced relation with the cylindrical casing, a tubular armhaving an'open' inner end fitted over the lamp housing, the outerfend of the tubular arm being closed, a rod'connected with the closed end of the tubular arm and disposed Within the cylinder, a piston on the inner end of the rod to move the rod through the cylinder, means for controlling a vacuum within the cylinder to move the rod and tubular arm, and a lamp in the lamp housing for il1umimating the tubular arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

' WILLIAM F. POTTER. 

